The Pennsylvania State University seeks candidates for the position of Dean, College of the Liberal Arts. Penn State is the land-grant University of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with the University Park campus as its administrative hub, 23 other campuses located throughout the state, and its online World Campus. Reporting directly to the Executive Vice President and Provost of the University, the Dean serves as the principal academic and administrative officer of the College. The Dean holds the Susan Welch Dean’s Chair and is known as the Susan Welch Dean of the College of the Liberal Arts. The Dean’s Chair was named in honor of Dean Welch with an endowment gift of $5 million in 2010.

The position requires a distinguished scholar and strong proponent of the liberal arts. The new dean will work aggressively to advance the College’s position as a leader among institutions of higher education in the creation and dissemination of knowledge for increasingly diverse and global constituencies. The successful candidate will be able to lead and manage the College in a multi-disciplinary and highly inter-disciplinary research university. Prior leadership experience with responsibility for strategic management of personnel, programs, communication, and resources is required, along with an ability to inspire students to expand their knowledge and understand their impact in a multicultural, global society. In addition, the successful candidate should be a visionary leader; have a commitment to high-quality disciplinary and interdisciplinary education, as well as diversity and inclusion; a record of accomplishment in research, teaching, and fundraising; and familiarity with national issues affecting undergraduate and graduate education, with credentials appropriate for a tenured appointment at the rank of professor. Salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications.

The College of the Liberal Arts, founded in 1909, has approximately 6,000 undergraduate and 850 graduate students enrolled in residence, and an additional 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in online certificate and degree programs delivered through the Penn State World Campus. The College’s faculty teach about 30 percent of all undergraduate credit hours at University Park and a higher percentage in the World Campus. The College has more than 700 full-time faculty members, about half of whom are on the tenure track, including many who are recognized leaders in their fields. Departments in the College span the humanities, social sciences, and the life sciences and many of the departments are among the top 10 of their peers in the last National Research Council rankings. Several interdisciplinary research centers and institutes, within the College and across the University, enhance the College’s teaching, research, and outreach missions. College centers support research ranging from ethics to cognitive neuroscience, from the Civil War to human evolution, and from the bilingual brain to counterterrorism.

The 2017-18 operating budget for the College is approximately $102 million, with the World Campus generating significant additional income. In 2016-17, the College had about $30 million in research expenditures. The College has an endowment of approximately $130 million with more than 600 active funds, and an annual fundraising commitment that averages $15 million per year.

To apply for this position, send (cover letter, curriculum vitae, and contact information of four references) via the University’s employment web site at https://psu.jobs/job/76213. Please send any questions to the Chair of the Dean, Liberal Arts Search Committee at PSUSearch@psu.edu. The Search Committee will review applications and nominations beginning February 1, 2018, and will continue to receive them until the position is filled. For more information about the College of the Liberal Arts, visit our web site at http://www.la.psu.edu/. \

Employment will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies. Final candidate(s) for the position will be required to complete a full background check process, including education, employment, credit, motor vehicle verifications, criminal, and child abuse as appropriate.

Penn State is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to minorities, women, veterans, disabled individuals, and members of other protected groups.